The Athletics received another solid start Wednesday night. Once again, it was not enough.
Jacob Lopez struck out nine over five innings, but the A’s managed only four hits in a 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The defeat extended their losing streak to seven games.
Lawrence Butler and Jonah Heim drove in the only runs. However, the Athletics went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and did not record a hit after the sixth inning.
The A’s fell to 45-69 and will try to avoid a sweep Thursday.
Lopez gives them a chance
Lopez opened the game by striking out the side in the first inning.
The left-hander allowed four hits and two runs over five innings. He walked one and struck out nine.
Cincinnati tied the game in the second. Noelvi Marte singled, stole second and scored on Jose Trevino’s two-out hit.
Then Matt McLain gave the Reds a 2-1 lead with a solo homer in the fifth. Lopez responded by retiring Elly De La Cruz on an outfield assist from Butler.
Still, Lopez left with the game tied after the Athletics answered in the sixth. His final line kept the A’s within reach.
Butler starts it early
Butler gave the Athletics a quick lead with a leadoff homer in the first inning.
The 415-foot drive was his seventh home run of the season. However, the A’s could not build on that early swing.
Tyler Soderstrom walked later in the inning, but Heim and Jeff McNeil struck out. Then the offense went quietly over the next two frames.
The Athletics created another chance in the fourth. Soderstrom walked, and Tommy White singled with two outs.
However, Donovan Walton grounded out to end the inning.
Heim ties it
Soderstrom singled with one out in the sixth. Then Heim drove an RBI double to right, tying the game at 2.
That was the Athletics’ fourth and final hit.
McNeil popped out, and White grounded out to strand Heim. After that, Cincinnati retired the final 11 Athletics batters.
Heim went 1-for-4 with his 13th double and one RBI. Butler added the homer, while Soderstrom reached three times with a single and two walks.
White had the other hit. Meanwhile, Jacob Wilson finished 0-for-4, and Henry Bolte went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
One run decides it
Hayden Juenger replaced Lopez in the sixth and immediately ran into trouble.
Sal Stewart singled, and Dane Myers followed with another hit. Juenger struck out Eugenio Suárez, but Noelvi Marte lifted a sacrifice fly to right.
Stewart scored the go-ahead run, giving Cincinnati a 3-2 lead.
Juenger took the loss after allowing one run on two hits in 2/3 of an inning. José Suarez recorded the final out before Scott Blewett delivered two perfect innings.
Still, the offense did not answer.
The Athletics went down in order in the seventh, eighth and ninth. Emilio Pagán closed the game with a perfect ninth for his 13th save.
Up next
The Athletics will try to avoid a sweep Thursday at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 a.m. PDT.
Mason Barnett starts for the A’s. He enters at 1-1 with a 4.85 ERA and 29 strikeouts.
Cincinnati counters with left-hander Andrew Abbott, who is 5-7 with a 3.91 ERA and 95 strikeouts.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
